Made the run to 48 miles out of Matagorda yesterday. the way out and back in where in washing machine conditions. As Murphy's law would have it, of course when we were stopped it was pretty much flat.

Found a rig with a shrimp boat tied off to it and decided to dive it (they were sleeping anyway). Due to waiting for the seas to lie down and not running as fast earlier our divers Joe (MSDT99517) & his buddy Fernando (Chef Nando from Kentuky), and freediver Carsonwild (nicknamed Ralph) made 3 tank dives to 120 to end the day with a cooler full of 6 Snapper, 6 Mahi (1x 5lb'er died by my hands with Joes borrowed Riffe... sweet gun!), 2 Ling (1 traded for some shrimp), 40#'s of shrimp, 1 King, and a couple of Lane Snapper.

I think Ralph (real name is Chris) shot a Sheephead. His own words are "He did good not drowning".

I made a few free dives and my new personal best of about 50' to get an elusive 5lb Mangrove in 60' sea green vis.

Vis Report:
15 miles off, sea green & sandy first 15 feet, clears up for 15 feet, then last 30 or so was the murk.

around 20 miles out was 15' vis, still green
about 30 miles and we found blue water, traded some cervesas for a bar of soap so our buddy Carsonwild could drop it ... just checking to see who was actually reading this...

Had a dang good day all & all. Boat was strapped to the gills and we all rode hard and got put up wet!

Lessons learned... don't try to improvise attaching your cable to your gun when you misplace the riding rig rope... luckily I already have a spare shaft... Check the bilge pump before you leave the dock, and for gods sakes... when you go out of Matagorda ... TAKE MOSQUITO SPRAY!

Only one digi, the rest are on a disposable camera... fixing to take it to Wally world now, so should have a few in a day or so. No slay pics though. Seas 2' or less... my ass! I don't think there is a one of us on the boat that doesn't have irreperable kidney damage!

Had a great fishing trip and lots of fun with some great guys.
The guys got a great deal on the 40lbs shrimp and they shot a lot good of fish.
I had fun swimming around in the ocean and looking at all the pretty fish.
I was getting practice loading and shooting my new gun. but not enough fishies.
I really need to get someone to help teach me how to free dive the right way.
Every time I dive I drink a gallon of salt water so then I get sick and puke my guts out hence the nickname 'RALPH'
I'm out of here. Carson

Had a great trip, mike's boat took a beating and kept going, Carson first thing you need to do is relax and get your breathing down and then get some new fins. We made a good trip out of some bad weather, and shot some decent fish, got some great shrimp for that big bad bottle of ezra brooks. My boy Fernando did a great job for his first spearing trip. We will have to do it again when we can a little deeper. Hey Mike how did you like the master's ceviche? Awesome huh.

I know the guy who rigged your guns, you didn't go modifying the work he put in did you? He wouldn't like that.

, shoot nah, I wouldn't ever mess with perfection!

The new Gulf Magnum I picked up off ScubaCraig... Didn't have a riding rig rope on it. When I got it, I noticed the cable was looped to the end of the gun... had I of done something stupid and not checked, I might not even have had the oportunity to attempt a temp fix. Your riggin is the shiznit, but I wasn't about to cut the cable to swap that rope to the gulf mag. I took that gun, but was going to use it in my scuba trip Saturday, I wanted to try out the Gulf Mag. The shitty part is I shot a 25... no wait, 35lb sow with it, and the 90lb tripple wrap braided cable held until she made a run. The actual cable split on all three wraps, the crimps were still in place. I was in shock, horror and disbelief all at the same time. I was diving a little 60cf pony bottle, just wanted to make a single dive while the other fellas were getting a little surface interval in, lost my shaft and cable, both fins came off at the same time, so I said the hell with it and just aborted with 2700# left. What with all the boat trouble, I didn't feel like risking it... I never new Murphy was a Spearo

Your rigging is safely attached to both of my long guns too. I wouldn't do you like that man.